


Affection

by DirtyNinjaChick



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 04:06:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/974128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyNinjaChick/pseuds/DirtyNinjaChick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate version of Makoto and Haru’s night at the hotel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Affection

Makoto felt nervous. Sitting on the bed in their hotel room, he couldn’t tell if he was suffering from anxiety or if it was because of excitement. Perhaps both. They were finally here at regionals, all of them together. He hadn’t felt like this for a long time before their last relay. It also made him reminiscence about the relay they’d done together with Rin. He wanted to experience it again, the feeling of all of them working together, doing their best and to be rewarded for those efforts. But most importantly he just wanted to swim _for_ and _with_ the others again. Swim with Haru. 

Makoto slowly recalled Haru’s perfect form during their last relay. Like a true fish in the water, he’d swum with grace and speed like no other. The previous darkness from his race with Rin that had surrounded him seemed to have completely faded by the time Makoto helped him out of the pool after the relay. Instead he’d reverted to his usual self, except being a bit more pumped up on adrenaline with a slight hint of a brighter aura than normal. Makoto couldn’t help but feeling giddy and a bit proud at the fact that Haru’s current brilliance had a lot to do with his joy of swimming with the team. With him. Makoto felt his cheeks lightly flush at that last thought. _With him?_

 

Right now Haru had gone into the bathroom, apparently washing his face from the sounds of it. Suddenly feeling much more conscious of Haru’s presence, Makoto felt his nervousness increase.

“Man, we’re all by ourselves in this hotel. I’m getting nervous…”

“Yeah.”

Makoto thought about asking Haru if he felt something similar to him when Nagisa burst through the doorway with Rei in tow, asking if they were ready to go.

Makoto thought naught of it as they left the hotel room.

   

 

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night they returned to the hotel, bidding Rei and Nagisa goodnight as they returned to their room. Haru seemed a bit tense as they headed for their beds. Makoto still felt himself brimming with nervousness, increasing tenfold as they settled on their beds.

After some time, Makoto finally felt himself relax a bit.

“Haru, are you asleep?”

“No, I’m awake.”

“Can’t fall asleep, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“I hope we make it to the final tomorrow.”

“Yeah…”

Haru’s replies were short but told Makoto everything he needed to know. That Haru probably felt the same as him, being nervous yet at the same time excited for the regionals. He felt himself smile at that and somehow found that his muscles stopped tensing, a tired feeling washing over him suddenly. He let out a yawn and started drifting off, when Haru called out to him in the darkness.

“Makoto.”

“Mm?”. Haru’s voice sounded strangely subdued but perhaps he was imagining it.

“I appreciate you being here for me.”

It took a while before Haru’s words registered and Makoto’s eyes widened in shock.

“Thanks.”, Haru continued before falling into silence.

Makoto felt completely gobsmacked. These were words he’d never thought he would ever get to hear. Haru had never been the talking type but he could always make it clear when he didn’t like something. Makoto had always interpreted the fact that he’d been allowed to stay by his side as a sign that he was perhaps something Haru liked, perhaps even thought of as a tiny bit precious. But never like this, not vocally with those words. The effect on him was so strong that he didn’t know quite what to feel or say, still being completely bewildered.

“Haru?!” he simply exclaimed loudly as he quickly sat up in his bed. Haru didn’t face him but sat up as well.

“I’m going out for a quick run.” he said suddenly and stood up.

“Eh? Wait, now?!”

Haru started heading for the door when Makoto flew up and grabbed his arm before was aware of himself. Haru had a surprised look on his face and they stared at each other in a very loud silence, Makoto for once not finding the words he wanted to say. _Needed_ to say.

“Makoto…?” Haru questioned him but made no attempt at moving away.

“Just…wait a bit Haru. I don’t know what to say. Let’s just…sit down. _Please_.”

Haru could hear the intensity of his plea in his voice and simply nodded, as he let Makoto guide him to his own bed where they both sat down.

Makoto couldn’t stop staring and neither did his hand leave Haru’s arm. As the initial shock started to settle, he felt himself bubbling with delight and a fierce need to reciprocate. To make Haru understand how much _he_ appreciated him, how he felt...

“Haru, I know there’s been a lot of times when you’ve found me annoying. But thanks for letting me stay beside you and not pushing me away.  Thanks for letting me swim with you and…” Makoto felt his words getting stuck in his throat and the sentence trailed into silence. Haru kept looking at him quietly. Yet somehow, Makoto got the feeling that Haru understood what he wanted to say. Usually Makoto was the one who could always tell how Haru felt, even if there wasn’t any outer sign of it all. However, there was something in Haru’s eyes, the way they softened yet his body tensed. He was anticipating something.

 

Suddenly Makoto didn’t feel the need to explain anything anymore. Not vocally anyways. So he decided to just do it. He gazed at Haru as intensely as he could, leaned in and saw Haru’s eyes widen. He placed his lips softly over his, merely interlocking their mouths without doing anything else. A small, suprised sigh escaped from Haru’s mouth. His left hand grabbed Haru’s shoulder while his other hand still remained clenched around Haru’s right forearm. Haru seemed to freeze, incapacitated by shock.

_‘Maybe he didn’t expect this after all…’_ Makoto thought to himself, but quickly brushed that thought aside as he continued to press his lips a bit harder against Haru's mouth. A few seconds passed but to Makoto it felt like time was moving in slow-motion, like in the movies. When Haru didn’t move even an inch, he grew bolder. The fact that he hadn’t been pushed away was a good sign. He licked Haru’s lips and when he connected their mouths once more, it was nowhere near as timid as their first. Makoto kissed him more fiercely, making Haru gasp, giving him the opportunity to stick his tongue inside and explore Haru’s mouth even more deeply. He held him tight, but made sure his grip wasn’t bruising. If Haru wanted to, he could push him away anytime and Makoto would back off. But he simply let out a small moan, as Makoto twirled his tongue around Haru’s, pressing their mouths together even more. Haru whimpered slightly, but started to respond, surprising Makoto. But he didn’t stop kissing him. The heat spread through both of their bodies and Makoto pulled them down on the bed so they lay down, their lips never leaving one another. He moved a bit on top of Haru, his right hand releasing his forearm and settling slightly above his hip, stroking lightly above his shirt. Eventually their breathing became very erratic, so Makoto pulled away. Both of them were out of breath, panting, with their skin lightly glistening with sweat. Makoto looked down and before he knew it, his hand stroked Haru’s forehead, brushing his bangs to the side. He had an idiotic smile plastered to his face but he didn’t care. He was just so happy right now.

Haru breathed hard but his gaze never left Makoto’s.

“Haru…I…you know I…always…”

Makoto’s brain seemed to have stopped functioning. Haru simply hushed him, leaning up and grabbed his face with both of his hands. He held it for a few seconds, staring deep into the pool of Makoto’s eyes, as if he wanted to convey something from the deepest part of his core. For once Makoto couldn’t put a word on what that feeling might be. Haru suddenly went in for another kiss, which quickly turned heated and with Makoto taking the lead again. No more words were needed. Their lips locked, moved and tongues intertwined with each other. Haru’s arms were tightly pressed around his neck as Makoto leaned down and let his hands roam down Haru’s face, neck and chest. Their shirts were still unbuttoned. Makoto couldn’t help becoming conscious of the big bulge in his pants that was begging to be released from its confinement.

_‘Oh, that’s right. What comes after this is…’_

Makoto felt his face go poof, a wide blush spreading. _No way_ , he couldn’t possibly do it. Haru probably wouldn’t even let him.

Sensing his sudden tension, Haru pulled away.

“What is it?”

“Eh…just thinking that…what comes after this is…I’ve never done it you know.”

Haru’s eyes widened and a small blush appeared on his cheeks as well.

“Me neither…” he let out in a small voice, head turned away from Makoto.

 

Suddenly Makoto felt something bloom inside of him, a warm and very aroused feeling that spread even further throughout his body. All he wanted to do was to embrace him as tightly as he could. But before he had the chance, Haru continued.

“I don’t think it would be a very good idea…we have regionals tomorrow.”

_Ah_. The always careful Makoto hadn’t thought of that, all the blood and brain matter seemed to have seeped away and travelled elsewhere, presumably more to the south.

‘ _Of course, why didn’t I think of that. We have regionals! We couldn’t possibly exert ourselves like that.’_

All of a sudden Makoto felt tired and simply fell down beside Haru, letting out a big sigh.

“Of course.” Who knew when this chance would come again. Perhaps this was just an impulse for Haru, with all the mixed feelings of stress, pressure and excitement pooling together. Maybe tomorrow after it was all over, he’d want to look back at this as an awkward memory that they’d never speak of again, and his awareness of Makoto’s feelings would fade into oblivion. Makoto felt more and more depressed when a hand suddenly touched the side of his face.

“After.”

“What?”

Haru seemed to be blushing and feeling awkward, his eyes not meeting Makoto’s.

“After regionals. Let’s do it. When we’ve won.”

“Eh?!”

Once again Makoto’s brain felt fried. Was he serious? He really wanted to do it? Once again Makoto felt an intense feeling of joy spread through him like wildfire and before he knew it, he was hugging Haru tightly.

“Haru!”

Haru grumbled, a bit dismayed and embarrassed by Makoto’s sudden and loud expression of affection.

 

“Let go, you’re squeezing too tightly.”

Makoto eased his grip a bit but didn’t let go. Haru seemed to settle at his chest and Makoto once again felt sleepiness wash over him. The sensation in his body was relaxed, warm and happy.

 

 

 

They both fell asleep, sleeping soundly throughout the rest of the night.

 

 *************

END


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